Mount Kailash Mystery

The mystical Mount Kailash has been surrounded by several mysteries since the ancient times. The mysteries have been spread by ancient holy texts as well as modern day travelers and scholars. Some of these are stories considering the connection between Mount Kailash and the gods, and some are interesting geographical of mathematical facts of the mountain. There is the Kailash mystery you must know before your Tibet Mount Kailash tour.

Part 1. Mount Kailash Mystery - Geographical Measurement

Ancient Vedas and other holy texts mentioned that Mount Kailash is the cosmic axis, the center of the world, and the stairway to heaven. It's believed to provide a connection between the earth and heaven, between the physical world and spiritual world. The importance of the geography of Mount Kailash is that it's thought to be the center of a worldwide system connecting other monuments and sites with paranormal activity.

How Mount Kailash geography supports the Mount Kailash mythology

Surprisingly these old myths are supported by the geographical measurements carried out in the modern times. The distance from Stonehenge to Mount Kailash is 6666 kilometers, which is also the distance from Mount Kailash to the North Pole. The distance from Mount Kailash to the South Pole is 13,332 kilometers, exactly the double of the distance to the North Pole or Stonehenge. Another interesting fact is that the four faces of Mount Kailash face the four directions of the compass.

Part 2. Mount Kailash Mystery - The Good and Evil Lakes

There are two lakes close to Mount Kailash, which have been also surrounded by myths from ancient times. The lakes are called Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal and they are connected to each other by the natural channel of Ganga Chhu.

What the Mount Kailash lakes represent

Lake Manasarovar is one of the world's highest freshwater lakes in the world and is round like the sun. Lake Rakhast Tal, however is one the world's highest salt-water lakes in the world and has the shape of a crescent moon. Lake Manasarovar has fish and life, while Lake Rakhast Tal with its saltwater is a dead lake without life.

Lake Rakshas Tal is also known as the devil's lake and these two lakes represent the solar and lunar forces, or positive and negative energies. The Rakshas Tal is constantly stormy, while Lake Manasarovar remains calm throughout any weather conditions, which only highlights the symbolism between the two lakes.

Part 3. Mount Kailash Mystery - Unconquered Peak

Mount Kailash has never been climbed, although there have been several attempts. The old legends still claim that one person has conquered the mountain.

The Mount Kailash myth of the man who climbed to the peak

According to the legend Milarepa, a champion of Tantric Buddhism, arrived in Tibet to challenge Naro Bön-chung, who was a champion of the Bön religion. The two entered a fierce superhuman battle, but they turned out to be equally powerful. Finally they decided to race each other to the top of the mountain. Milarepa's followers were shocked seeing him just sitting still and meditating as Naro soared up the slope sitting on his magic drum. Milarepa took action when Naro was already near the top, as he rode on the rays of the Sun and amazingly won the contest.

Some people in the alternative history circles speculate that Naro's magic drum and Milarepa's rays of the sun might refer to a spacecract and to some form of teleportation. According to them, these two magicians from the myth could be ancient aliens using their advanced technology, which the primitive humans could only explain by calling them Gods. This legend is also important in another way, because it's used as an explanation how Buddhism replaced the indigenous religion of Bön as the most dominant religion in Tibet.

In the modern times there have been some failed attempts to climb Mount Kailash. In 1926 Hugh Ruttledge was at the area and thought about an ascent of the northeast ridge, but he ran out of the time. Colonel R.C. Wilson had explored the area with Ruttledge and he was on the other side of the mountain with his Sherpa, who told he saw a feasible route to climb to the summit. In the end Ruttledge ran out of time as well.

In more recent times there's one attempt in 2001 by a Spanish team, who got the permission from the Chinese government to climb the peak. The Chinese decided to ban all attempts to climb the mountain after international disapproval against the Spanish attempt to conquer the peak. Reinhold Messner, who had declined the opportunity given by the Chinese government to climb in the mid-1980s, commented the Spanish plans.

He said, “if we conquer this mountain, then we conquer something in people's souls. I would suggest they go and climb something a little harder. Kailash is not so high and not so hard.” So Messner understood the religious importance of the mountain and knew that some mysticism would vanish if someone actually managed to conquer the mountain.

About the unsuccessful attempts to conquer Mount Kailash, it has been said that the mountain strangely changes the target location to those who want to climb it. Mount Kailash changes the tracks position in the opposite direction and even covers tracks waylaying climbers. So climbers suddenly end up moving in the opposite direction, or as soon as the path to the climb becomes visible, weather worsens and the climbers have to come down with severe illness and several others have never returned.

The reasons of why it hasn't been climbed, although it's only 6638 meters high, are various. One of the most important ones is that there haven't been many attempts. From the 1950s until the 1980s Tibet was closed for foreigners and after that there haven't been many attempts except the Spanish team's in 2001. Currently Mount Kailash is the only mountain, which is not climbed due to religious reasons, which is one of the most important reasons why no one even tries to climb it. Also the fact that many people who could have the skills to climb the mountain, like Messner who even got the permit, which he declined, understand the religious importance of the mountain and chose not to climb it.

Part 4. Mount Kailash Mystery - Shambhala Myth

Many mystics have claimed that Mount Kailash has a secret entrance leading to a legendary kingdom called Shambhala. It's supposedly a land safeguarding the Kalachakra teachings. Shambhala's location is believed to be in Tibet or just north of Tibet. Himalayan explorer Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) was one of those believing in existence of Shambhala. Many other believed in it and tried to reach Shambhala and disappeared in the search of this mythical kingdom.

The continued myth of Shambhala and Agatha

Professor Muldashev has commented the Shambhala myth as well. He said that there are two underground countries, the Shambhala and Agatha, which are each part of the gene pool of humanity and civilization, coming from the Gobi, from the Himalaya and divided into two branches, which are the Shambhala and Agartha. The Shambhala being the center of power, protected by unknown forces and energy.

Part 5. Mount Kailash Mystery - Hitler's Nazi-Germany

Mount Kailash is thought to be the mountain from where the Aryans come from. German SS Officers like Heinrich Himmler believed that Mount Kailash was the place of origin and hidden home of the Aryan master that Germans descended from. Himmler believed that by harvesting this power they could conquer the world.

The swastika, which Hitler used as a symbol for Nazi-Germany has a connection to Mount Kailash and to the religions of Asia. The native Tibetan religion Bön call Mount Kailash as "Yung-drung Gutzeg" or the 9-storey Swastika. This name comes from the fact that on the south face of Kailash a swastika can be seen. Supposedly when the sun sets at the dawn, the pyramid-shaped mountain is said to cast a shadow that looks like the symbol of swastika. The swastika is also a symbol used in Buddhism and Hinduism.

Part 6. Mount Kailash Mystery - Rapid Aging

Travelers and pilgrims have reported the rapid aging near Mt Kailash. It has been told that only 12 hours spent near Kailash equals to two weeks in normal conditions, based on how quickly the hair and nails grow during that time. This has made the devotees question the presence of some mysterious energy surrounding Mount Kailash.

Part 7. Mount Kailash Mystery - A Mountain Made of Precious Metals

One description in the Vishnu Purana, claims that the four faces of the Mount Kailash are made of crystal, ruby, gold and lapis lazuli. According to the myth the east face is made of crystal, the south face of lapis lazuli, the west face of ruby and the north face of gold. The Buddhists have named Mount Kailash as Garu Rimpoche, meaning "precious jewel of snow".

Travelers' Questions Might Help

The questions raised by our past customers can help you get a more clear picture about tours to Tibet, read them or tell us your own questions via the form on the right side, our specialists will reply you within 24 hours.

Hello I am planning a trip to Katmandu and on to Lhasa and Mt. Kalias. I am pilgrim. Let me know costs and details I intend to fly or go overload from Katmandu Lhasa etc. Thx.

Answered by
Helen

Dear Mr. To***,

Thanks very much for your inquiry. Travelling to Tibet from Nepal, you need to apply for Chinese Group Visa in Kathmandu. Firstly, we'll apply for visa invitation letter with copy of your passport. Next, we'll send visa invitation letter to you and our partner in Kathmandu. When you arrive in Kathmandu, you need to meet with our partner and give them your original passport, then they will go to Chinese embassy and apply for Chinese Group Visa for you. When you board plane from Kathmandu to Lhasa, they'll only check your passport and Chinese Group Visa. Apart from Chinese Group Visa, you also need Tibet Permit, we'lll apply for Tibet Permit for you in Lhasa, and our guide will pick you up at Lhasa airport with your permit. I will send detailed itinerary to your email, please check it. Thanks & Regards